Northern Rockies Subalpine Grassland

This is an upper montane to subalpine, high-elevation, lush grassland system dominated by perennial grasses and forbs on dry sites, particularly south-facing slopes. It is most extensive in the Canadian Rockies portion of the Rocky Mountain cordillera, extending south into western Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and Idaho. Subalpine dry grasslands are small meadows to large open parks surrounded by conifer trees but lack tree cover within them. In general, soil textures are much finer, and soils are often deeper under grasslands than in the neighboring forests. Grasslands, although composed primarily of tussock-forming species, do exhibit a dense sod that makes root penetration difficult for tree species. Disturbance such as fire also plays a role in maintaining these open grassy areas. Typical dominant species include Leymus innovatus, Koeleria macrantha, Festuca campestris, Festuca idahoensis, Festuca viridula, Achnatherum occidentale, Achnatherum richardsonii, Bromus inermis var. pumpellianus, Elymus trachycaulus, Phleum alpinum, Trisetum spicatum, and a variety of Carices, such as Carex hoodii, Carex obtusata, and Carex scirpoidea. Important forbs include Lupinus argenteus var. laxiflorus, Potentilla diversifolia, Potentilla flabellifolia, Fragaria virginiana, and Chamerion angustifolium. This system is similar to Northern Rocky Mountain Lower Montane, Foothill and Valley Grassland (CES306.040) but is found at higher elevations and is more often composed of species of Festuca, Achnatherum, and/or Hesperostipa with additional floristic components of more subalpine taxa. Occurrences of this system are often more forb-rich than Southern Rocky Mountain Montane-Subalpine Grassland (CES306.824).

Grasslands, although composed primarily of tussock-forming species, do exhibit a dense sod that makes root penetration difficult for tree species. Typical dominant species include Leymus innovatus (= Elymus innovatus), Koeleria macrantha, Festuca campestris, Festuca idahoensis, Festuca viridula, Achnatherum occidentale (= Stipa occidentalis), Achnatherum richardsonii (= Stipa richardsonii), Bromus inermis var. pumpellianus (= Bromus pumpellianus), Elymus trachycaulus, Phleum alpinum, Trisetum spicatum, and a variety of Carices, such as Carex hoodii, Carex obtusata, and Carex scirpoidea. Important forbs include Lupinus argenteus var. laxiflorus, Potentilla diversifolia, Potentilla flabellifolia, Fragaria virginiana, and Chamerion angustifolium (= Epilobium angustifolium).

This is an upper montane to subalpine, high-elevation, lush grassland system dominated by perennial grasses and forbs on dry sites, particularly south-facing slopes. It is most extensive in the Canadian Rockies portion of the Rocky Mountain cordillera, extending south into western Montana, eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and Idaho. Subalpine dry grasslands are small meadows to large open parks surrounded by conifer trees but lack tree cover within them. In general, soil textures are much finer, and soils are often deeper under grasslands than in the neighboring forests.

Disturbance such as fire also plays a role in maintaining these open grassy areas.

This system is most extensive in the Canadian Rockies portion of the Rocky Mountain cordillera, extending south into western Montana, central and eastern Oregon, eastern Washington and Idaho. It also occurs in the "island" ranges of central Montana, though it is not common, and is also found in the Bighorn Range of north-central Wyoming.